Specialist - Health Worker Career Pathways

Job Highlight

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to strengthening the health system in Bangladesh by improving the career prospects and job satisfaction of health workers. The position offers a chance to work on a high-impact project with significant implications for the quality and accessibility of healthcare services. It also provides opportunities for professional development and collaboration with key national and international partners.

Role Purpose
The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance to the MOHFW and relevant stakeholders in designing career pathways for the key health workers under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), such as medical doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists.

This ICT assignment will complement the work of the health systems consultant responsible for policy and content development, by providing the technical architecture, software development, and integration necessary for implementing a fully digitalized solution.

Objectives of the Assignment

• Examine existing HR policies, regulations, and practices related to the career progression of key health worker cadres.
• Determine gaps, challenges, and opportunities in current career structures.
• Develop career pathway frameworks for selected cadres (e.g., medical doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists).
• Define competencies, qualifications, and experience requirements for each level in the pathway.
• Provide recommendations for the integration of career pathways into national HRH strategies and systems.

Functions / Key Results Expected
The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Carry out a desk review of relevant documents, including HRH policies, service rules, job descriptions, and international best practices on health workforce career pathways.
• Consult key stakeholders (MOHFW, DGHS, DGFP, BNMC, relevant professional councils, academia, and development partners) to gather inputs.
• Assess current career progression mechanisms and identify bottlenecks affecting motivation, retention, and performance.
• Develop draft career pathway frameworks for identified cadres, detailing:
• Levels and positions
• Core competencies and required qualifications
• Professional development and training requirements
• Promotion and progression criteria
• Lateral movement and specialization options
• Facilitate validation workshops with stakeholders to refine and finalize the frameworks.
• Prepare a final report including the frameworks, policy recommendations, and implementation roadmap.

Expected Deliverables:

S.No.

Activities

Deliverables

Timeline

1

Inception and Desk Review Phase –

Conduct an inception meeting, finalize the methodology and work plan, and carry out a comprehensive desk review of the existing HRH structure, policies, and relevant frameworks.

Inception Report and Desk Review –

Comprehensive assessment of the current HRH situation, policy landscape, and existing professional development systems.

Day 1–10

2

Development of Draft Career Pathways Framework –

Design an initial framework outlining potential career pathways, progression mechanisms, and competency-based promotion criteria for selected cadres.

Draft Career Pathways Framework –

Initial draft document for selected cadres, highlighting structure, progression ladders, and linkage with HR policies.

Day 11–25

3

Stakeholder Consultations and Validation Workshops –

Conduct consultation meetings with MoHFW, HR units, and development partners to review, validate, and refine the draft framework.

Stakeholder Consultation and Validation Workshop Report –

Summary of key feedback, stakeholder inputs, and revisions incorporated into the draft framework.

Day 26–35

4

Finalization and Submission –

Integrate validated feedback, develop recommendations, and prepare the final report with a clear implementation roadmap and action plan for phased adoption.

Final Report –

Final draft of the HRH Career Pathways Framework, including recommendations, phased implementation roadmap, and resource plan.

Day 36–50

Education Requirements

Required

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in Public Health, Health Economics, Human Resource Management, or related discipline.

*Required*
Experience Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in health workforce career planning, HRH policy, or health systems strengthening.
• Proven experience in conducting HRH policy and strategy, or strategic planning.
• Familiarity with national health policies, HR information systems, and global HRH frameworks (e.g., WHO NHWA, Workload Indicators).
• Proficiency in workforce modeling tools and data analysis software is required

Desired

• Experience working with government health institutions and development partners is desirable.